How Soothr fills every seat—even late at night

At a glance

• Restaurant: Soothr, a MICHELIN Guide Thai spot in NYC’s East Village
• Switched from: Resy to OpenTable
• Why the switch: Too many no-shows, not enough new guests
• The result: More first-time guests, fewer no-shows, and fully booked tables—even late at night
• Favorite features: Notify Me, the OpenTable diner network

Tucked into the heart of New York City’s East Village, Soothr is the kind of restaurant people love to tell their friends about. With bold, authentic Thai flavors, and a vibe-y, intimate interior, it’s earned a loyal following and a steady stream of reservations.

But even popular restaurants face operational roadblocks. For co-founders Joel Chidensee and Ratthee Rueangpisansin, persistent no-shows and a lack of new guests were slowing things down—especially during late-night seatings. To solve the problem, they made the switch from Resy to OpenTable.

The result? Stronger bookings, fewer no-shows, and a better experience for both guests and staff.

Here’s what made the difference for them.

More visibility—and fewer no-shows

With their previous platform, the team at Soothr faced two big challenges: they weren’t seeing many new faces, and they had too many no-shows. “With Resy, we had bookings—but no-shows, especially late at night, were common,” said Chidensee.

OpenTable’s massive diner network and extensive marketing reach put Soothr in front of a broader audience, increasing their visibility. This helps them get discovered—and booked—by more first-time guests. In particular, the OpenTable diner app puts restaurant reservations at the fingertips of hungry guests, day and night, according to Chidensee.

The team uses OpenTable’s one-time email sends to reconnect with past guests—promoting new menus, events, and reasons to return. It’s an easy way to turn first-timers into regulars.

Filling the gaps—automatically

Soothr doesn’t just get discovered—they stay booked, thanks to tools like Notify Me, OpenTable’s waitlist feature that alerts interested guests when a table opens up. It’s been especially impactful for filling last-minute openings during their late-night reservation slots.

“We love how OpenTable helps us fill late-night tables. Guests are still finding us and booking, even during our 9 pm and 9:30 pm time slots,” says Chidensee.

But the best part? The Soothr team doesn’t have to do extra work to get those seats booked.

A reliable system they can count on

At a popular restaurant like Soothr with limited availability, reservation accuracy isn’t just nice to have—it’s critical. “With Resy, there were times a guest would show up, but their reservation didn’t exist in the system. That doesn’t happen with OpenTable,” said Chidensee.

That reliability translates directly to a seamless guest experience. FOH staff can easily pull up reservations and manage seating in just a few clicks. “I would say 99% of our guests are very satisfied with how smooth it is—from booking to checking in to getting seated. The overall experience is really good,” says Chidensee.

Backing restaurants beyond the table

For Soothr’s founders, OpenTable is more than a reservation management system—it’s a partner that shows up for the industry. “We really appreciate how OpenTable brings restaurants together,” says Chidensee.

Whether it’s through collaboration dinners, local events, or just being there for the industry, OpenTable helps them connect with other restaurants, as well as their local neighborhood.

“When we’re sitting at the table together [with other restaurateurs], we’re able to share ideas and experiences and we’ve grown a bigger community,” says Rueangpisansin. “It’s amazing.”

A change for the better

Making a tech switch at a busy restaurant can feel daunting—but the Soothr team agrees, it was well worth the leap.

“If you want to grow your business and make good sales, you absolutely need to make the change,” says Chidensee.